Digital Care Records in Adult Social Care: How Can Providers Check Their Quality?

Digital care records are now used across much of adult social care. The next challenge for providers is ensuring that the information in them remains useful as people’s needs change.

How to Review Digital Care Records and Day-to-Day Practice

The Department of Health and Social Care’s August 2026 provider statistics estimate that 83.6% of CQC-registered adult social care provider locations in England had a digital social care record in June 2026, compared with 79.3% a year earlier. These estimates rely on information reported by providers.

What Do the Latest Digital Care Record Figures Show?

The DHSC measure indicates whether a provider location has a digital record system. It does not assess whether individual care plans are accurate, whether updates happen promptly or how staff use records during a shift.

A provider therefore needs its own checks. Take a change in a person’s needs: when was it identified, when was the care plan updated and did the support provided change accordingly? Looking at the full sequence can reveal gaps that a simple check for completed fields might miss.

Are Care Plan Changes Followed Through in Practice?

The same principle applies after an incident, concern or review. A manager may be able to see that an action was assigned and marked complete. The more important question is whether there is evidence of what changed and whether the improvement has continued.

This does not mean every issue requires more paperwork. It means records should help staff deliver care and help managers understand what happened. Where the recorded account differs from what staff describe or what is seen in practice, the provider has something specific to investigate.

How Should Providers Audit Digital Care Records?

Digital systems can make information easier to update, find and review. Their value still depends on the quality of the information entered and how people use it.

For providers and owners, regular quality assurance should include both the record and the care it describes. Are plans current? Do staff know where to find changes? Can managers identify recurring issues and see whether actions have made a difference?

Fulcrum Care Management Ltd (FCML) can help providers review care documentation alongside service practice, identify gaps and strengthen follow-up. Speak to Fulcrum today about quality improvement support.

Read our overview of the August 2026 adult social care statistics for the wider findings.